Anya Ayoung-Chee and David Chum are among the 20 "Project Runway" cast members who will face a surprise elimination on the "Road to the Runway," the first episode of the season.

By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter
July 28, 2011

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Getting an invite to New York City is usually a good sign for "Project Runway" cast members, but designers of season nine found out that making it to the Big Apple would not guarantee a spot on the show.

This season 20 fashion hopefuls were surprised to face an elimination on the first episode, "Road to the Runway," where four designers were sent packing. The special casting episode will air July 28 on Lifetime and precedes the premiere where the eclectic group of designers will tackle their first challenge using their pajamas.

Anya Ayoung-Chee, 29, and David Chum, 29, were among the 20 designers who fought to land a spot on the show after a surprise casting cut.

Ayoung-Chee, former Miss Trinidad and Tobago who is half Chinese, says she draws on the Caribbean as inspiration for her clothing line Pilar, which was named after her brother who died at 18 in a car accident.
 
Chum, was born to two Cambodian immigrants who fled the genocide to resettle in the United States. Before "Project Runway" Chum balanced working at a Boston, Mass.-based restaurant and his clothing line, Selahdor.

Who will be cut on the first episode? Neither Ayoung-Chee nor Chum would divulge any secrets. But the Pacific Citizen caught up with the contestants to get the inside scoop on season nine as they anxiously await the "Project Runway" premiere.

Why did you decide to audition for "Project Runway" season nine?
Anya Ayoung-Chee: I've been doing fashion design professionally only for a couple of years, and I work in the Caribbean where I'm from. I guess I just wanted to take what I've been doing to the next level and expose my work to a bigger audience. 'Project Runway' is just a great platform for that.

David Chum: Well, it's funny since I started Selahdor, my clothing label, all my family and my friends have been pressuring me to try out for 'Project Runway.'

But I passed. I just didn't feel as if I was prepared yet. Technically I couldn't even tailor a pair of pants at that point. So there was no way I was going to try out. But then this year … I did and somehow made it to the top 20 out of thousands.

Anya, I know Heidi Klum said she'd fight to get you on the show during the casting process. How did that feel?
Ayoung-Chee: Oh, she absolutely did. The other judges were not so keen on putting someone with such little sewing experience into a competition that's so heavily dependent on your skills from a construction point of view.

When I walked out of the casting room Heidi said to me, 'I'm going to fight for you.' [Laughs] Clearly that's what she did.

How did you quickly learn to sew?
Ayoung-Chee: I definitely learn very quickly generally, regardless of what it is. In the two years of having a line I had people sew for me. I was always aware of what I wanted. So I guess learning to sew just meant me doing it myself, which of course is not the easiest thing in the world to do. But I kind of put my head down and I focused on it.

Where do you get your fashion inspiration?
Ayoung-Chee: I'm very connected to my heritage and Trinidad in particular is an incredibly diverse place. I'm never wanting for inspiration that comes directly from there.

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